Can anyone tell me where I can buy a side engine vent for a 280?

Have you checked with Kenny at Lets Talk Boats or maybe Scott at Velocity?

Padraig

I forgot about Kenny and I thought Velocity was out of business again.

I contacted Kenny and he has one for me. Great asset for Velocity owners!!!

Thanks!!

Glad you found one, Kenny is great! I heard, recently that Velocity is doing well. I don't personally know Scott, the new owner but I hear good things about him and he is a former Velocity employee and racer.

Padraig

I just bought some new fabric for the V berth from Scott for my 1998 280. Great guy to deal with, I hope he can make it work.

Velocity has a history of great customer service, good to see Scott is keeping the tradition going. I have been dealing with Velocity since the mid 90s. Every time I called I was helped...often by Steve Stepp himself.

Padraig

Underpsi, curiosity is killing me. LOL why do you need a engine compartment intake?

Padraig

Yes Velocity has been great to deal with over the years. I called the factory years back with some questions. Steve was on the phone helping me. Top notch.

As far as the side vent, well.....

Last Saturday I went out with my wife and a few friends for lunch. It was a very windy day. I told my passengers it was probably going to rough. They were game. Awesome let's go i said!!. Launch the boat and head towards our destination. We are about 8-10 miles from the dock and come across an sea of boats everywhere. Boats are racing at us and then a helicopter flies 50ft to the side of us. It's the Boat Pix copter!!! At that point I realize we were right in the middle of a Trump boat parade. Lol There were so many boats you couldn't get thru. After trying finding another place to eat unsuccessfully, I head back to find a lot of the boats had left and headed the other way. We got to our destination and had a great lunch. On the way back, the conditions got worse with a confused sea with large boat wakes going every direction with the wind helping. We start heading back. As any Velocity owner knows, the hull isn't an Apache!!! My 280 is a very dry riding hull for passengers, usually. This day between the high wind and large close waves we were soaked inside the cockpit. To say it was rough (to me) was an understatement. Couldn't get a good rhythm. Passengers and I were laughing so hard it was actually a fun ride. Once we got 1/2 way back, the water conditions improved slightly and I told everyone to hold on and got the boat on the pad, probably 2-3ft confused sea with some larger waves mixed in. Now cruising 45-50 with afew wot bursts. When we get back to the dock I realized that one of the engine vents was knocked off and was at the bottom of the bay somewhere. I couldn't believe it. Lol

I have found that my 280 likes a bit of speed in rough water. I’ve been in 8’, that was the most fun. I left my wife on the dock and went out and played. I had the boat so far out of the water she could see the whole boat over the 12’ break wall. When I first got it we went for an all day cruise and it was really windy. I didn’t know the boat and I had the wrong prop so I went slow. Boy that was not good, we got pounded. I decided the next day to go out by myself and play around and figure out what the boat liked. I found that anything below 50 on an inland lake was terrible. I also discovered that props make a huge difference. I currently run a Bravo 1 labbed 30p and the ride is remarkable. I don’t have trim tabs and don’t need them. I had 6 big guys in the boat and a full tank of gas and we were breaking 80 easy. I do tell people I’m more pilot than captain.